Apparatus for continuously processing strands



E. T. LORIG Sept. 7, 1954 APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY PROCESSING STRANDS Filed May 10, 1949 ATTOR-NEY Patented Sept. 7 1954 APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY PROCESSING STRANDS Edwin T. Lorig, Ross Township, Allegheny County, Pa., Corporation,

assignor to United States Steel a corporation of New Jersey Application May 10, 1949, Serial No. 92,348

Claims. 1

This invention relates to apparatus for continuously processing strands, especially hot or cold rolled strip. Continuous pickling of such strip is now done at high cost and extremely slow speed with expensive equipment requiring a great deal of space.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide apparatus for pickling or otherwise processing wire and strip at much higher speeds than is now commercially possible.

This and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic view, partly in section, of one embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a schematic view, partly in section, of a second embodiment of my invention; and

Figure 4 is a view taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the reference numeral 2 indicates a processing tank having pickling liquid 4' therein. A pair of hinged sink rolls 6 are provided at one level in the tank and a second pair of hinged sink rolls 8 are provided in the tank above the rolls 6. A substantially cylindrical reel I0 for conveying a continuous strand in a helical path is provided adjacent one end of the tank 2 and a similar reel I2 is provided adjacent the other side. These reels are preferably of the type disclosed in my copending applications, Serial No, 80,673, filed March 10, 1949, now Patent No. 2,654,139, dated October 6, 1953, Serial No. 85,699, filed April 5, 1949, now Patent No. 2,589,411, dated March 18, 1952, and Serial No. 86,375, filed April 8, 1949, now Patent No. 2,576,233, dated November 27, 1951. As disclosed in these patents the strand is moved in a helical path in a plurality of convolutions across the surface of the reel without appreciable slippage by means of axially moving members forming at least part of the outer periphery of the reel. An uncoiler I4 is provided adjacent one end of the tank. Support rolls I6 and I8 are provided between the uncoiler I4 and tank 2. The axis of the roll I6 is inclined with respect to the roll l8 so as to give the strip S, as it starts through the apparatus, the proper helical inclination to the axis of roll I8. A coiler 20 is provided adjacent the other end of the tank on which the strip is coiled after it is processed. A deflector roll 22 is provided adjacent the tank 2 on the side thereof adjacent the coiler 20. The axes of all these rolls, and of the uncoiler I4 and coiler 20, except for the axis of roll l6, are parallel.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The strip S is fed from the uncoiler I4 over the rolls I6 and I8, beneath the sink rolls 6, over the roll 22, around the reel I2, under the sink rolls 8 to the reel It]. From here the strip S passes over the roll I8, through the tank 2, around the reel l2 and back to the reel Ill in the manner described above. This is continued until the strip S is moved helically completely across the width of the reels I0 and I2, after which it is discharged to the coiler 20.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4, a processing tank 24 is filled with liquid 26 as shown. A continuous strand helically conveying reel 28 of the same type as reels I 0 and I2 is provided above the tank 24. A pair of sink rolls 30 are located adjacent the bottom of the tank and a third sink roll 32 is located above the rolls 30.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The strip S to be processed is fed to the reel 28 from which it passes downwardly into the tank 24, around the bottom of left hand sink roll 30, over the top of sink roll 32, around the bottom of right hand sink roll 30 and back to the reel 28 at which point the strip has been moved helically across the surface of the reel by the axially movable segments of reel 28. This path of travel is continued with the strip being moved helically across the face of the reel each revolution. When the strip is moved completely across the reel 28, it is discharged therefrom as shown.

While two embodiments of my invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for processing a continuous strand, said apparatus comprising a processing tank for containing a liquid, a substantiallycylindrical helically-conveying reel adjacent each end of said tank outside the liquid, each of said reels including axially movable members forming at least part of its outer periphery and means for moving said members across said outer periphery of the reel in a helical path, a pair of substantially-cylindrical sink rolls in said tank adjacent the bottom thereof, a second pair of substantially cylindrical sink rolls in said tank at a higher level than the first pair of sink rolls, the axes of said reels and rolls being substantially parallel to each other, and means for pulling said strand a plurality of times through said processing tank along a path starting above theliquid level and continuing under the first pair of sink rolls, around one of said reels, under the other pair of sink rolls according to claim 1 in which the strand is removed from its last path at a position outside said tank.

3. Apparatus for processing 'a continuous strand, said apparatus comprising a, processing tank for containing a liquid, a substantiallycylindrical helically-conveying reel adjacenteach end of said tank outside the liquid, each of-said reels including axially movable members forming at least part of its outer periphery and-means for moving said members acrosssaid-outerperiphery of the reel in a helical path, at least one substantially-cylindrical sink roll in said itank adjacent the bottom thereof, a guide roll adj acent the entry end of the tank over which said strand passes downwardly to said sink roll, a guide roll adjacent the other-end ofsa'id tank'over which the'strand passes from said sink roll, at least one-substantially cylindricalsinkrdll in said tank at-a higher level than the first sink roll, theaxes of said reels and rolls being substantially parallel -to each other, said strand passing from the second guide roll consecutively around one of said'reels, under the said second sink roll, around theother reel, over said first guide roll, under said' first'sink roll and similarly around said reels a plurality of times, and means for pulling said strand through said described path.

4. Apparatus for processing a continuous strand according to claim 3 in which the strand is removed irom its last path at a position outside said tank.

5. Apparatus for processing a continuous strand according to claim 3 including-arch at the entry end of said first named guide roll over which the strand passes to said first named guide roll, the

axis-of said last named roll being inclined with respect =to'the axis of the first named guide roll to provide better feeding of the strand.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1532445 Edmunds Apr. 16, 1895 576,620 Rowe Feb. 9, 1897 1,157,288 :Blau Oct. 19, :1915 1,718,063 Naugle etal June 18, 1929 1,858,437 Dufford May 17, 19.32 1,999,822 ,Nieman Apr, 30, 1935 12,108,285 Forrest Feb. 15, 1938 2,308,576 Kornegg Jan..19, 1943 2,3 1.6;696 Moritz-et a1 Apr. 18,1944 2,576,233 Lorig Nov. 27,1951 2,589,411 Lorig Mar. 18, 1952 

